Warning: Used Boats Can Save You A Lot Of Money!

Used Boats are usually much cheaper than new boats, either because its the recession and people are getting rid of their expensive boy's toys in return for liquid cash or because they want to turn the boat into scrap metal, because they never used it and it is falling apart.

Of course it isn't as black and white as that, there is a grey zone.

Boats are like houses in that there is a sort of ladder associated with them. You may start off with a small 31 foot yacht or topper dinghy, sell it and then move on to a large one. Of course the fact is that when the person sells the boat, it becomes a used boat.
The used boat market is huge (although due to the recession it may have got larger - new boats too expensive - or smaller - boats too expensive anyway - for those reasons) and it is very likely that your first boat will be a used one, because in terms of value for money, boats that have been used usually have a far, far greater value for money.

The Used Boat Value is how much it is worth after being bought and used by a previous owner. Of course the boat will be in a condition
at least worse than it was bought at, so you can expect to get the sailboat cheaper than it was bought.

This is unless of course the boat bucks the trend and becomes a fashionable item, rare or highly sought for. In this case the price you pay will be
far larger than it would have originally been bought.

A dinghy bought first hand is usually never bought for more than £10,000 and that is for the ultra top performance boats, although there maybe uncommon exceptions.

Second hand most dinghies are worth alot less sometimes a quarter or less than they were bought for, simply because they are very easily damaged and after a few months are already ageing quickly. The sails will degrade in value in weeks especially if the boat is used often as creases form quickly. A few hits and snags that come with every dinghy that is raced amongst a tight fleet and by an inexperienced helm will make the value decrease.

I recommend buying a second hand dinghy for your first boat as it is likely only to be worth a few thousand pounds or less. On the Welsh Harp average GP14 used boat value tends to be around £1000-£1500,but when bought new they are bought for about £6000-£7000, so there is quite a drop. If you really enjoy the sport and want to move up the fleet then you can buy a new one, but you must be utterly committed to sailing for your purchase to become worthwhile.

Tips for Buying and Selling Used Boats

So if you want to go and find out a used boat value of the dinghy in question, you must go and see the boat in person. It is too easy to scam people on the internet using photos that have been edited on photoshop so always go and see it yourself. If the boat in question is too far away to go visit, then it should be taken out of the equation as it is then too far to drive back.

The first thing to look for to find out the used boat value on the dinghy is the hull condition and if there are any holes/scratched that will require a paint, varnish or other job. This will seriously degrade the value of the boat as you will have to spend significant sums in order to repair the boat.

Next check the rigging and sails (make sure that you know if these are or are not included in your trade to remove any disagreements post deal!) for damage and age. Old sails slow the boat down and they can easily be distinguished from new sails. The old sails will be very crinkly and soft to touch. Old rigging will have frayed wires and the metallic parts could be rusted.

Next confirm that there is a trailer and a trolley and that the trailer can be connected to your car. Remember that a trailer is not the same as the a trolley! A trolley is what the boat sits on usually and a trailer is what the trolley sits on when you are transporting the boat by car.
Finally return to the internet and check what boats in similar condition are being sold for. A simple search on google for say "USED GP14 FOR SALE" will yield classifieds of boats for sale. Check the condition and subtract to the cost the seller is quoting you.

Always try and negotiate especially if there is a large difference between the asking price and the market price you found on the internet.

The other way to do it is to go to Sailboat Auctions, where used boats are sold at cut prices, sometimes due to only minor defects and it also gives you a chance to properly inspect the craft and be protected by the auctioneer from fraud.

It is important to judge whether the price you are buying for is realistic and if you will actually enjoy the boat you buy. You absolutely must check it out and if it is too far away then don't buy it. Photos can easily be manipulated and so don't fall for the scam when there is thousands of pounds at risk.

Always make sure the seller is a trusted individual or company with a reputation and reviews on magazines and the internet. Never be the first to buy from a firm or get sucked into a crazy looking offer that looks too good to be true (because it probably is!).

A sailing yacht is different to a sailing dinghy as it is far more expensive and requires a far more thorough look at before you consider a purchase and finding out its used boat value will be very hard. Age on a yacht will almost always make the asking price smaller whatever the model.

There are so many potential flaws in a yacht that it will be very hard to spot these on your own. I recommend getting a boat broker from a trusted company, which has been reviewed positively many times, instead of going it alone as the you can 'insure' yourself against buying a boat with loads of problems buy blaming the broker for the mistakes, which legally is a stronger position than having no support at all.

Boat brokers have long contracts and you should find a suitably qualified lawyer with experience in the marine industry to help you decipher the marketing and legal mumbo jumbo and find out what exactly they want from you.

It can feel much easier with a broker and the whole experience is more pleasant. Going it alone is highly unrecommended as you are spending significant amounts of money (often tens of thousands of pounds if not hundreds of thousands) and so you want to make the right choice and if you make the wrong choice then at least you are backed up.

Search Google for a good boat broker with experience and lots of positive independent reviews, like 'UK BOAT BROKER'.

Buying a used boat is much cheaper than buying a new boat, which is the major consideration for many people considering it. Paying the right price however is hard and so you must find out the used boat value of the class and size of the boat you are considering before making a purchase.

Consulting experts, friends and family you have experience in boat buying or own a boat you are considering buying is great for helping you make a great choice of boat for a very reasonable price.

I offer you the greatest luck in finding a great boat for a great price in the near future!